1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for processing an object such as mail wherein the type or the kind of the mail, processing/charges, etc. are detected from a postal indicia (like a stamp) and wherein physical quantities such as weight, dimensions, etc. are measured.
2. Description of the Related Art
In connection with a conventional method of determining the processing charges for mail etc., a postage determining apparatus as disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2-12021 has been proposed. This apparatus enables the postage for a specified piece of mail to be read from a postage table previously stored in a nonvolatile memory and then displayed, and compared with the weight data on the piece of mail weighed at the metering section, thereby indicating the postage and the classification of the mail. With this prior art, however, only the weight is measured as physical information on a piece of mail, but the shape or size, which is one of elements determining the postage, is not measured. The operator is still required to judge and enter the kind of mail (standard-size mail, nonstandard-size mail, etc.) from the keyboard. Furthermore, only the necessary postage for the measured weight is displayed. The apparatus is not constructed so as to detect the postal indicia on a piece of mail, for example, the postal indicia of a postage stamp or an indicia by a postage meter or to automatically classify a piece of mail on the basis of the detection result.
Therefore, with such a conventional apparatus, the valid postage may not be indicated because the operator may make a mistake in judgment of the kind of the mail. Furthermore, there are various disadvantages including a heavy burden on the operator.